And successful Caesarean sections were being performed in Uganda prior to colonialism.

Zille did have some supporters. Like this dude, who praised medical discoveries resulting from human experimentation in Nazi Germany.

Zille, who is of Jewish descent, was quick to shut down that argument, leading others to point out her own hypocrisy.

South Africa remains one of the world’s most unequal societies more than two decades after the end of apartheid. That legacy means black South Africans still lag behind their white counterparts in terms of access to employment, education and healthcare."

Ziller later said she apologized "unreservedly" and had not meant to defend colonialism. Zille is now facing a disciplinary process by her own party, which has recently been fighting to shrug off being seen as a party for white South Africans.

The Democratic Alliance has grappled with other high-profile racially-charged incidents with Zille, who stepped down in 2015, when the party appointed a black leader for the first time.

Last year, one of its party members was charged in court after a Facebook post in which she referred to black people as "monkeys" went viral. In the same year, a senior white judge faced public criticism after making racist comments about black culture and rape.

The overall feeling seemed to be that when people start backing up your argument with Hitler, this is the best way to respond.